Checked baggage, premium seating, priority boarding can all cost extra when you fly. Should there also be a surcharge for those who carry extra pounds on board?

A recent survey found that nearly three quarters of Americans believe that airplanes should have designated plus-size zones with more expansive seats and leg room. Almost all of those surveyed, 93 percent, said that those seats should sell for more than the regular steerage rate.

The study from the travel price comparison website www.US.jetcost.com queried nearly 5,000 people over age 18 who had flown at least once in the past year, about ways to improve air travel.

Separate zones for people with different needs is not a new concept in flying. Until 1988, when the United States government banned smoking on flights of two hours or shorter, most airliners had distinct smoking sections for those who wished to light up in air.

Obesity did not top the list of what made 42 percent of those surveyed uncomfortable in flight. Nearly 60 percent answered that disruptive fellow passengers ruined the experience. About 40 percent said that their comfort was hampered by the passenger in front reclining his or her seat.

Although only 14 percent complained about the person next to them spreading over in to their space, 71 percent endorsed the idea of separate areas for those carrying, well, some extra baggage.

Almost one third, or 29 percent, of those who found themselves next to a plus-size passenger asked that either they or the seatmate be relocated. Another 27 percent said they made pointed use of the arm rest to demarcate their own seat.

But the study did not ask whether we all might appreciate a little extra leg and side room when we head into the wild blue yonder.

Call IndyStar staff reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354. Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.